Header structure and fastening arrangement therefor



N. T. MCKEE 1,921,629 l HEADER STRUCTURE AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT THEREFOR Aug. 8, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 18,' 1929 ju-" l |NVENTOR ATTORNEY N. T. MGKEE Aug. s, l1933.

v 2 Sheet Filed Dec.

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 HEADER'STRUCTURE AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT THEREFOR Neal T. McKee, Bronxville, N. Y., assigner to The Superheater Company, New York, N. Y.

Application December 18, 1929. Serial No. 414,876

10 Claims.,

My invention relates to an arrangement of separable castings and bolt or like structures for holding such castings together.

In certain structures, for instance header structures such as those illustrated in Patent #1,054,676, separable castings are provided having intermeshed or interleaved hollow fingers. It is desired to hold such castings in fixed relation to each other under varying stresses of considerable magnitude produced by'temperature i changes and/or by the motion of the locomotive or similar vehicle in which the castings are employed, but it is desired to disassemble them at times. Owing to the form of the castings and the limited space available for mounting such structures, difliculty has been encountered in maintaining` the two castings in fixed relative positions in use bymeans permitting their being readily disassembled. v .A It is an object of my present invention to provide combined castings and securingmeans therefor in such structures which shall avoid Y the difficulty just mentioned. V

A further object of my invention is to provide .25 an arrangement of bolt and cooperating members adapted to exert a stress longitudinally of Athe bolt to position two other members with respect tov each-` other in one direction at the same time that the structure applies a stress to such other members transversely of the bolt to `,draw them together.

An. arrangement of separable castings and fastening means therefor within my invention may comprise two castings having intermeshed fingers, said castings' being formed at the ends of certain of said fingers to receive special fastening means adapted not only to position the castings in the direction transverse to the axes of said ngers but also to draw the castings together inthe direction longitudinally of such axes and each casting preferably having two apertured lugs adapted to cooperate with lugs on the other castingfor receiving bolts fof ordinary construction when their apertures are brought into register.

My invention will best be understood from a detailed description of a specific illustrative embodiment thereof and such.a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a combined wet steam header, dry steam header and throttle lvalve casting fora locomotive; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. a is a plan view or the por- (Cl. 122-462) l Ation of Fig. 1 in the immediate vicinity of the line 2 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the bolt of Fig. 2 looking toward the head; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a` portion of Fig. 3, the upper end of the bolt being broken off and the nut and upper engaging member removed.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated my present invention as applied to a-structure similar to that disclosed in Fig. 3 of Patent #1,054,676 and in which a casting@ for a wet steam header is employedin conjunction with a separate casting e for receiving superheated steam. The header d is shown as having hollow fingers d interleaved with complemental' hollow iingers e on the structure e to form a row across the composite structure. It will be understood that superheater units (not shown) having tubular elements are connected to receive wet steam 4from the fingers d which, after being superheated in the elements, flows into the fingers e'. In the 'structure shown, superheated steam passes from fingers e' into a chest g forming part of the housing for the throttle and having outlets i, i, for connection to the cylinders of the engine. It evidently is desirable to position the members d and e with respect to each other in a direction transverse to the plane of Fig. 1

and, sin'ce the parts d and e are separate castings, to draw or clamp the parts together in the direction parallel to the plane of Fig. 1. For these purposes, I provide, in accordance with the present inventiom two longitudinal stress supporting bolt members -10,- 10, each illustrated as having an integral head 12 for engaging the members d and e and an engaging member 14 surrounding bolt 10 andfree to move thereon, but spaced from member 12 longitudinally of the bolt. A nut 16 is provided on member 10 adapted to press the engaging member 14,. longitudinally thereof to force the engaging members 12 and 14 against the surfaces of the members to be held thereby so as to apply through the member 10 a stress on parts such as d ande to' position them in the direction 100 longitudinally of lthe bolt 1 0.

To draw the members d and e together in the direction lengthwise of fingers d' and e', the

parts are so formed that, as the longitudinal stress is applied to the memberl, a clamping stress also is applied to members d and e in the direction transverse to the axis of such member. For this purpose I have shown the head 12 and the engaging member 14 as having reentrant l-surfaces 18 and 20 respectively which flare outn wardly from the bolt 10l forming therewith spaces between the bolt andthe engaging members for receiving parts to be urged toward each other and shown as grooves whose bottoms are between the outer ends of such surfaces and the surface of the bolt and whose mouths face in opposite directions longitudinally thereof. The castings d and el are provided with supplemental grooves 22 and 22a respectively forming engaging surfaces 23 and 23 complemental to the surface 18 on head l2 and supplemental grooves 24 and 24a forming engaging surfaces 25 and 25' complemental to the surface 20 on member 14. Preferably, parts d and e are countersunk `to receive engaging members 12 and 14, thus placing grooves 22, 22a, 25 and 25a at the bottoms of the countersunk portions, but this is not essential. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the dividing line 26 between castings d and e separates the surface 23 from surface 23', but it will be clear that when the parts are in the position shown and surfaces 23 and 23 engaged by surface 18 of the head 12, surfaces 23 and 23' will cooperate as partsof means including the bolt head 12 to apply lateral pressure to parts d and e to clamp them in the direction transverse to the length of bolt 10 when nut 16 is turned to put stress on bolt 10. Similarly the surfaces 25 and 25 cooperate with the surface 20 of member 14 to draw parts d and e Ltogether when the nut 16 is set up to place the bolt 10 under tension. My improved bolt structure therefore holds two parts against movement in two directions at right angles while requiring only one bolt.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the surfaces 18, 23 and 23', as well as surfaces 20, 25 and 25 are circular in plan, but it will be understood that they may be formed by straight grooves so as to be parallel to tangents to the bolt. It will be obvious also that, while 1 have described the bolt structure in accordance with my invention as having two members with flaring engaging surfaces, only one of the engaging members need have; a fiaring engaging surface, and that, while I have shown one of the engaging members of the bolt structure in the form of a head fixed to thebolt, bothA of the engaging members may be mounted loosely on the bolt and held thereon by nuts. Also, a fastening means within my invention may be embodied in arrangements in which the bolt member is under compression instead of under tension.

As appears in Fig. 1, the castings d and e are so' proportioned that -when they are drawn together by bolts 10 the ends of certain fingers d and e contact with castings e and d respectively, at points 28, 28 so that the friction between the castings at points 28 assists in jholding the castings in relatively fixed position and in preventing vibration in the fingers.

In addition to the special bolt structures 10, 10 between castings d and e at the ends of the fingers d and e', I prefer to provide bolts 30, 30 of ordinary construction which pass through apertures in lugs 32 and 34 at diagonally opposite corners of casting d and through registering apertures in cooperating lugs 36 and 36 similarly placed on casting e. The bolts 30 and lugs 32, 36, 36 and 38 are adapted to initially position castings d and e with respect to each other when the parts are bing assembled .and assist the bolts 10, 10 in resisting strains tending to separate casting d and e in use.

It will be seen that'the castings d and e when assembled form a roughly rectangular structure in plan and that the line connecting the bolts 30 forms one diagonal of the structure whereas a line connecting the bolts 10 forms another diagonal of such structure, so that the castings are held 4together by symmetrically arranged bolts, one near each of the four corners of the composite structure. It will be seen, moreover, that it is inconvenient to provide additional lugs such as 32 or 38 on'the casting d and e since each of these castings has a iinger at one end which is enclosed by the Afingers of the other casting. Thus at one end of the row of fingers across the composite structure, the casting. d has a small half finger d which lies outside the adjacent finger e', while at the opposite end of the row the casting e has a small half finger e which lies-outside the adjacent finger d" on the other casting. There is therefore no opportunity to use lugs such as 32, etc. at the other outer corners of the structure while the spaces 40, 40 intermediate the longitudinal edges of fingers dand e are usually employed for bolts used to tighten the joints between the ends of the vsuperheater units and the castings d and e. Moreover, it is diicult to set up by ordinary lug and bolt connections any stress transverse to the axis of the bolt or longitudinally of fingers d.' and e as it is desired todo to obtain frictional bearing between the castings. For supporting the castings d and e in assembled position in the smoke-box, they may have flanges 42, 42 thereon.

While I have illustrated the bolt appearing in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 as applied to a pair of header castings, I doA not limit myself in all cases to 2. The combination with a pair Iof castings having intermeshedfingers of cooperating lugs at diagonally opposite corners of said castings, bolts for holding said lugs together, and special bolt structures intermediate said castings and one positioned at the end of a finger on one casting and the other positioned at the end of a.,I

finger on the other casting, and each adapted to exert stresses on said castings both in the direction of its longitudinal axis and in a direction transverse thereto.

3`. The combination as set forth in claim 2 and in which the line connecting the special bolt structures forms Ia diagonal of the composite casting structure and is inclined oppositely to che diagonal line connecting the bolts in the ugs.

4. The combination with two castings having interleaved fingers of special bolts for'positioning said castings with respect to each other, one of said bolts lying at the end of 'a finger on one casting and another of said bolts lying at the end of a finger von the other casting, and each of said bolts adapted to exert stresses on said castings both in the direction of its longitudinal axis and in the direction transverse thereto, the line connecting the special bolts forming a diagfingers,

exert stresses on said members transverse to its longitudinal axis, a collar surrounding said bolt and having a reentrant engaging surface flaring outwardly away from the aperture thereof, said members having engaging surfaces complemental to the aring surface of said collar whereby said collar is adapted to exert stresses on said members transverse to the longitudinal axis of said bolt, and a nut on said bolt separate from said collar and adapted to force said collar toward the head of s aid bolt whereby the stresses aforesaid are set up between' the engaging surfaces on said members and those on said head and said collar.

6. The combination as set forth in 'claim 5 and in which the complemental grooves in the members are countersunk at one erid to provide an annular space for receiving the collar.

7. In combination, a pair of separable elements adapted to have mutual lateral opposition, a bolt disposed along and between the meeting faces of said elements, and clamping means carried by said bolt having Wedging action with said elements to draw them toward each other.

8. In combination, a pair of separable elements adapted to have mutual lateral opposition and each provided with registering recesses disposed longitudinally of their meeting faces, a bolt fitting in said recesses with its threaded end projecting beyond the outer end of said elements, and clamping means adustably mounted on the threaded end of said bolt and having wedging and provided with registering recesses disposed longitudinally of their meeting faces, each of said g elements having grooves formed along their inner and outer surfaces parallel with and adjacent their meeting faces, a bolt tting in the aperture formed by said registering recesses, said bolt having a head with overhanging portions adapted to have inwardly inclined engagement in the adjacent grooves at the inner ends of said members to draw the latter together, and

a cooperating clamping member detachably mounted on the outer end of said bolt having overhanging portions engaging with the grooves in the outer faces of said elements, said clamping member being detachable endwise of said bolt to permit either of said elements to be withdrawn longitudinally without disturbing said bolt or its companion element. n 10. In combination, a pair o f separable elements adapted to have mutual lateral opposition and provided with registering recesses disposed longitudinally of their meeting faces, each of said elements having grooves formed along their inner and outer surfaces parallel with and adf jacent their meeting'faces, a bolt Afitting in the 100 aperture formed by said registering recesses, said bolt having a head with overhanging portions adapted to have inwardly inclined engagement in the adjacent grooves at the inner ends of said elements to draw the latter together, and

threaded on the end of said bolt engaging said clamping member, said clamping member being detachable endwise of said bolt' to permit either of said elements to be withdrawn longitudinally Without disturbing said bolt or its companion element. 

